


Admit Defeat

by actualgrantaire



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, at least i like to think i'm funny, neil gets a makeover, queer eye AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23177278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actualgrantaire/pseuds/actualgrantaire
Summary: Andrew and the Foxes nominate Neil for a queer eye makeover, and the Fab Five pay a visit to Palmetto to give him just that. Neil isn't too pleased about the whole thing.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 19
Kudos: 121
Collections: AFTG Reverse Big Bang 2020





	Admit Defeat

**Author's Note:**

> this is my fic for the 2020 reverse big bang! my artist was the wonderful [aurelia](https://thematicallycoherent.tumblr.com) and I loved working with her and her wonderful idea! her artwork can be found at the very end of this fic,

"I've gathered you all here today to talk about Neil," Andrew said. With the exception of Neil, all of the Foxes were gathered in Andrew's shared dorm. Neil was in class, and wouldn't be back for another hour.

"Why did you need _all_ of us here to talk about your boyfriend?" Aaron complained. He still wasn't thrilled about Andrew's relationship with Neil. They had been together for a while now, though, so he was trying to be better. It was just hard sometimes. 

"I'm filming a video to submit to Queer Eye and I want you all to talk about why he would benefit from it," Andrew explained, rolling his eyes at his twin. 

"God, he does need a fashion makeover, _at least_ ," Nicky said, nodding along with the idea. 

"I wouldn't mind our dorm getting a makeover, either. So long as everyone manages to keep it clean," Kevin replied, sending a pointed look to Nicky and Andrew, who were notorious for leaving trash out and unwashed dishes in the sink. 

"And I bet Karamo could give him some useful advice. Neil is a Fox, after all," Matt said. "Plus, I'd love to meet the fab five! They're so cool! My favorite is Antoni." 

"Excuse me, but Tan is the most fab of the fab five," Nicky argued. 

"It doesn't matter who we think is the best. Are we all willing to participate in the video?" Andrew asked, stopping the argument before it could begin. 

Everyone, even Aaron, nodded their heads in agreement. 

The video was filmed before Neil got back from class, surprisingly. Each Fox recalled heartfelt stories about Neil and also how much of a disaster he was in all of the areas that the fab five specialized in. Nicky spent most of his segment complaining about how often Neil wore jean shorts--or jorts as he called them in the video. 

It found its way to the fab five and the team decided that their next makeover would take place in Palmetto for one Neil Josten. 

* * *

"Neil Josten, now that's an interesting name," Antoni began on their way to Palmetto. 

"Better than Nathaniel Wesninski," Karamo replied. 

"Who's Nathaniel Wesninski?" Antoni asked, a confused expression on his face. 

Karamo rolled his eyes fondly. "Of course you did no further research. Neil Josten is Nathaniel Wesninski. He changed his name after he escaped the mafia." 

"The mafia?!" Antoni looked very confused and very concerned. 

"His dad was high up in the mafia. Known as The Butcher. Word on the street is Neil escaped when he was young but was captured when his dad was released from prison. Someone tipped off the FBI, though, and Neil was saved before his dad could kill him," Karamo explained. 

"That's fucked up! How did I not know about this?!" Antoni looked a bit more ashamed now rather than confused. 

"Because you never do further research," the rest of the fab five said in unison. 

* * *

"Wow, that's a lot of orange," Tan said when they arrived on campus. "Perhaps too much orange. Orange should be used sparingly." 

"They did say that Neil wears a lot of orange. You have your work cut out for you, Tan," Jonathan joked. 

"They said he wears a lot of denim, too," Tan sighed. "And his boyfriend said, quote: 'I don't think he'd know what fashion was if it stabbed him in the chest.' A very interesting metaphor, if you ask me. What did we get ourselves into?" 

"You're definitely in for _something_ ," Wymack called as he approached the fab five. "Neil has been on the run for most of his life. He doesn't really care about fashion, grooming, cooking, or interior design. And Karamo, you especially have your work cut out for you. He's more emotionally constipated than everyone with the exception of Andrew. They're both very emotionally constipated, though perhaps that's why they work so well together." He shrugged and started walking towards the Foxhole Court. The fab five followed, talking amongst themselves about how they were going to give Neil the makeover he deserved. 

When they all entered the court, chaos ensued. Nicky was the first to notice the fab five and immediately left his position to run over to them and gush about how much they meant to him and how happy he was that they were here for Neil. This angered Kevin, of course, who had demanded they finish the drills they had been doing. However, once Nicky left, Matt followed. Without his side's backliners, there was almost no point in trying to continue, but Kevin pushed on. Eventually everyone but Kevin and Neil had left the court. 

Matt reacted similarly to Nicky, while Dan interrupted his word vomit with a, "Pleased to meet you." Jonathan complimented Renee on her hair, which made her blush and thank him. This led to Allison thanking Jonathan, eager to show her gratitude after Renee's adorable, flustered display. No one got Aaron confused with Andrew, thankfully, because they had paid attention to the armbands in the video. The fab five were very polite with Aaron, even though it appeared that he couldn't care less and had taken the easy excuse to quit practice early. Karamo approached Andrew as the blond finally left the goal with a small smile. "So you're the boyfriend?" 

Andrew had to restrain himself from looking murderous. He’d told Neil he didn't mind the word, but he still had trouble when other people, especially outsiders, used it. He was working on it. "Yeah, uh, I'm Andrew. I'm surprised you didn't think Aaron was me." 

"We paid attention to the video. You wear armbands. Your twin does not. It wasn’t hard to figure out who was who when we got here," Karamo stated easily. "Although I imagine some people aren't even that attentive." 

"I've lost count of how many reporters have mixed us up. Do you want me to get Neil for you? He'll never leave the court otherwise." Andrew looked over at Neil and Kevin, who were now playing a game one-on-one without anyone in their respective goals. 

Karamo looked back towards the others and saw that everyone was ready to meet Neil. He simply nodded when he turned back. "That would be great." 

Andrew nodded as well, and ran off to open the doors to the court. Once inside, he ran straight at Neil, and knocked him to the ground. Neil let out a small "oof" and gave Andrew a confused look. "I thought you'd stopped playing." 

"I did. I came to get you so that you can meet the fab five," Andrew replied, smirking a bit as he looked down at Neil. 

"And you tackled me for that why?" 

"I knew you wouldn't stop playing otherwise. And maybe I also wanted a chance to get you underneath me." 

Neil rolled his eyes and pushed Andrew lightly off of him. "You're ridiculous, you know that? I was literally underneath you this morning." 

"AND I DID NOT APPRECIATE THAT," Kevin called out from a ways across the field. 

Andrew shot Kevin a glare, which, of course, didn't frighten Kevin at all. Kevin finally left the court, seeing as there was absolutely no one to play with now. Neil and Andrew followed, only to be greeted by giggles. "What'd you do that Kevin didn’t appreciate?" Nicky asked, for he had an early class and had been out of the dorm this morning when this occurrence had happened. 

Neil blushed faintly, and that was all Nicky needed for conformation. "Y'all are like rabbits, I swear," Nicky teased, waggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. 

"We were just making out!" Neil protested, which earned him a warning look from Andrew, who did not appreciate the sharing of their private life. 

"Well, you were making out very loudly," Kevin remarked, rolling his eyes. 

Wymack cleared his throat and everyone went silent. "Neil, Kevin. Perhaps you should stop arguing about things that no one needs to hear of and come meet our guests?" 

Neil sighed, and walked over to where the fab five stood. "Hi. I'm Neil. I hear you're supposedly giving me a makeover?" 

"Yes, and we can't wait to get started," Antoni said, and the rest of them nodded in agreement. 

"I don't like this. I don't know why everyone agreed that I needed this." 

"Perhaps you'll change your mind once we do get started," Tan offered with a smile. 

Neil looked at all of them with a deadpan expression. "Doubt it." 

* * *

Neil took the fab five back to his dorm, leaving the rest of the team at practice. He wasn’t sure he liked this. He would’ve preferred Andrew to at least be here with him, but Wymack had insisted that he stay. He had said it was so their new teammates could practice against the best but he didn’t think that was giving Renee enough credit. He had probably just said that so the fab five didn’t appear to be dragging him alone. He still didn’t trust them, no matter how genuine they seemed. 

“This is the dorm,” he said blandly as he opened the door to reveal their boring dorm. The living room was completely bare with the exception of two bean bag chairs, a couch, and a TV with a gaming system on top of a box. 

“Really? Not even a small table for your TV? You’re literally using a cardboard box,” Bobby complained, knowing that he had his work cut out for him. “Is your room any better?” 

Neil shrugged and led them to the bedroom he shared with Andrew, Nicky, and Kevin. The room held two bunk beds and two dressers. On the wall of Kevin’s bunk hung magazine clippings about the Foxes and a couple of the USC Trojans. A pride flag was pinned to the wall above it, indicating Nicky’s bunk. The other side of the room was completely bare. 

“Let me guess. You sleep on this side of the room,” Bobby said, indicating the bare side of the room. 

"Yes, that's our bunk," Neil replied. Though there were two beds, Andrew and he generally slept together on the bottom one. It was a tight squeeze, but they were both small enough that it worked." 

As if Bobby could read Neil’s mind, he asked, “Andrew is your boyfriend, right? Do you really sleep in separate bunks? Or do you cram yourself into one?” 

Neil sighed. He thought of their sleeping arrangements as private information. “That’s none of your concern,” he said, a small scowl on his face. He didn’t want to tell these people any more than he had to. 

“The video did warn us that you would be closed off,” Karamo said, and it startled Neil a little because he’d forgotten the rest of them were there. 

“We’re only here to help you,” Jonathan said, a puppy dog pout on his face. 

“You’ll have to tell us something, _eventually_. Might as well start with this,” Tan said. “And after you answer Bobby’s question, you can let me see your wardrobe.” 

Neil ran his hands down his face and breathed out a long sigh. “Fine. No, we do not sleep in separate bunks.” 

“Cute,” they all said in unison, and looked at each other in surprise as if they didn’t do this all the time. 

“I can work with that. Thank you, Neil,” Bobby said, and then left the room, taking everyone but Tan with him. 

“Now would be a good time to see your wardrobe,” Tan said after they’d left. 

Neil crossed the room to one of the dressers and pulled out a drawer. “I have this one and the one below it,” he said, his tone indicating he’d rather talk about anything else. 

“Perfect. I’ll look through them and see what we have to work with.” Neil sighed, but he was thankful that he’d moved his safe into the linen closet. He didn’t need Tan asking him questions about what was in it. 

Tan trifled through the drawers, examining every piece of clothing and making thoughtful sounds as he did so. “You wear a lot of orange and denim,” Tan observed. “We’re going to fix that.” 

“Andrew says I look good in orange,” Neil stated, hoping that maybe it would get Tan to back off. Of course it didn’t, though. 

“You wear enough orange out there playing Exy, I’m sure he’d also like to see in other colors. He seems to really enjoy black,” Tan replied. “He was wearing all black in the video, anyway.” 

“Black is Andrew’s Thing. I don’t want to copy him,” Neil complained. He was sure Andrew wouldn’t mind; he might even find it hot. However, he didn’t want to look like he was copying Andrew, no matter how often he stole Andrew’s clothes. 

“Speaking of _Andrew’s Thing_ , isn’t that Andrew’s hoodie that you have on? It says Minyard on the back of it,” Tan said, not in an accusing manner, just a curious one. 

Neil flushed ever so slightly. “Yes, it is. I...like wearing his hoodies. They’re comfortable and smell like him.” 

Tan smiled, as if that was the cutest thing he’d ever heard. “You two really are adorable. And lucky you’re about the same size in clothes. You can’t just wear his hoodies, orange, and denim, though, Neil. You need a style of your own. I’m going to help you with that.” 

“Whatever,” Neil replied with a small shrug. “But don’t expect me to wear a suit all the time. I hate wearing them, even when I have to,” he continued, shaking his head. Suits reminded him of his father, and he thought the resemblance to him was uncanny when he wore one. Not that he would tell Tan such a thing. 

Tan simply nodded and put all of the clothes back in their drawers before walking out to join the others. Neil followed suit, and was quickly approached by Karamo. “So, what do you do in your free time, Neil?” 

“I don’t have free time. I have class, then I have practice,” Neil replied. 

“But what do you do on the weekends?” Karamo prodded, hoping that there was something Neil did for fun. 

“Kevin and I usually run drills. Andrew joins us occasionally.” 

“What do you do that doesn’t involve Exy?” Karamo asked, an eyebrow raised. 

Neil shrugged. “Not much, I suppose. Exy is my life.” 

Karamo sighed, and looked towards the others. They all knew they had their work cut out for them. 

* * *

"I don't understand why I need a haircut," Neil complained, as Jonathan sat him down in a salon chair. 

"You've had the same boring haircut for years now, haven't you? Don't you want a change? A haircut that reflects who you really are?" Jonathan asked as he draped the cape over Neil. He was still wearing orange and denim, as Tan had yet to work his magic yet. 

"This haircut is me. I'm boring," Neil replied, pouting a little as he saw no way out of this. "What are you going to do?" 

Jonathan broke out the clippers and plugged them in. "I'm thinking an undercut for you. Short on the sides and back, longer on the top. You'll see. You're going to look fabulous." And without another word, Jonathan began to trim the sides down to almost the scalp. Once he'd finished one side, he moved to the back, where he took off the same amount, and repeated the process again on the final side. He looked at Neil in the mirror they were facing and smiled. "We're not quite done. I need to do something to the top." 

Neil watched his hair fall off with a horrified expression. Jonathan really was making him look like a new person. "The top doesn't need anything--" he protested, but that didn't stop Jonathan from putting sculpting clay in it and pulling the front up. 

"There," Jonathan said, content with his work. "Now let's see what Andrew thinks." 

_Andrew._ Neil was suddenly very worried that Andrew would hate his haircut and never speak to him again. It was ridiculous, of course, but that didn't stop his mind. 

Jonathan led Neil back into the room where Andrew was waiting. Andrew looked up when he heard footsteps and immediately stared at Neil's haircut with his mouth slightly agape. " _Fuck_. You look fucking _hot._ " 

Jonathan smiled, pleased with himself and genuinely happy that Andrew loved Neil's new haircut. Neil, on the other hand, flushed a little and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up slightly. "You think so?" he asked shyly, as if Andrew would change his mind. 

"Hell yes. You have never looked hotter except maybe when you score a goal. But now if you score a goal _with_ that haircut? Well, it's a good thing I know how to play while distracted." Andrew closed the distance between the two of them, and ran his fingers through Neil's hair. "Yes, or no?" 

"Yes." 

Neil allowed Andrew to come to him, and Andrew wasted no time kissing him much more passionately than he should have, considering Jonathan was still in the room. His hands kept running over Neil's head while he kissed him, as if he couldn't get enough of it. 

Jonathan cleared his throat. "As glad as I am to know that I did a good job, I still need Neil for his skincare routine." 

Neil pulled away reluctantly and gave Jonathan a confused expression while keeping Andrew close. "What skincare routine?" Neil asked, looking to Andrew to see if he could shed some light on the matter. Andrew simply snorted, and shoved Neil lightly in the direction of Jonathan. "He's all yours," Andrew said, before giving Neil a smirk. "I'll see you later." 

Neil flushed again, because Andrew's tone was nothing if not seductive, and Jonathan was still here after all. Not only was he here, but he demanded to know how Neil took care of his skin. 

"I, uh, wash my face?" Neil said, unsure of anything else he did that could constitute skin care. 

"With what?" Jonathan asked. 

"Soap." 

"What _kind_ of soap, Neil? Face wash?" 

"Uh, no…hand soap? I think it's hand soap. It's on the sink and I use it to wash my hands, too." 

Jonathan ran his hands over his face. "Oh my god, you use _hand soap_? It's called _hand_ soap, Neil. It's for your _hands._ Not your face. You're lucky you have me." He searched around for the bottle of face wash and moisturizer he'd gotten for Neil. "Use these instead next time, okay? This one," he indicated the face wash, "is like soap but for your _face._ And this one," he indicated the moisturizer, "is to help keep your skin from getting too dry." 

Neil nodded and took the bottles from him. "Thanks. I'll, uh, ask Allison if I need any help." 

"Great. Now I'm going to let you get some lunch before you have to go shopping with Tan," Jonathan said, a small knowing smirk on his face. "If you thought this was rough, wait until he gets ahold of you." 

* * *

Neil spent most of his allotted lunch period making out with Andrew, who couldn't get enough of his new haircut. Kevin had made himself scarce as soon as he saw the two of them enter their bedroom. Nicky was actually trying to do homework, but didn't mind the soft sounds coming from their bedroom. It was simply something he could tease the two about later. 

Tan knocked on the door to the dorm, and Nicky excitedly abandoned his homework to answer the door. He fawned over Tan as he entered the shared dorm. 

"You really are too kind, Nicky," Tan said, looking around the dorm for Neil. "Where's Neil? I thought he was eating lunch." 

"If you consider Andrew's face lunch, then yes, he is eating lunch," Nicky laughed, and Tan raised an eyebrow. 

"Would you mind getting him for me, then? I'm sure he wouldn't take too kindly to me interrupting his…lunch," Tan asked, a quiet laugh escaping him as well as he said _lunch._

Nicky nodded. "Anything for you, Tan," he replied with a smile before he barged into Neil and Andrew's room. "Lunch is over. Time to go get something other than jorts to wear," he said, not minding the glares he received from both Andrew and Neil. 

Neil, who was on top of Andrew, sighed and buried his face in Andrew's neck. "I don't want to go," he mumbled. 

Andrew took ahold of Neil's head and raised it so that they were eye to eye. "C'mon. I'll come with you. It won't be that bad," he said, and kissed Neil's nose. 

"That's not--" Nicky started, but was quickly cut off by Andrew's glare. He sighed, and walked out of the room to tell Tan that Andrew would be joining the shopping adventure. 

When Tan saw the two exit the room, he raised an eyebrow at Andrew. "So, he's joining us? You know that's not usually--" 

"He's my emotional support boyfriend," Neil cut Tan off, squeezing Andrew's hand. "And he's coming, or I'm not." 

Tan sighed but ultimately shrugged. "Suit yourself, but he's not allowed in the dressing room. We don't have all day." 

This time it was Neil's turn to sigh, but he quickly agreed to those terms and then they were all out the door. 

Tan took the two of them to one of the boutiques in downtown Palmetto. It had different types of flannels, and club attire, but also more chic clothes, like suit jackets and vests. Tan pulled a couple of the nicer shirts and a few vests for Neil to try on. Andrew snuck in a netted shirt (with an undershirt, because he knew Neil was still self conscious about his scars) and some extremely tight destressed jeans. 

Of course, Neil opted to try on Andrew's choice first. He appreciated the undershirt, for he wasn't quite confident enough to show Tan his scarred torso. He pulled on the outfit, having a bit of trouble with the jeans, and came out of the dressing room. 

Tan looked to Andrew, who was looking at Neil with hungry eyes. Neil flushed when he saw Andrew's expression. 

"Andrew, you’re no longer allowed to pick out anymore outfits while we're here," Tan said with a sigh. 

"You have to admit that he looks hot as fuck, though, right?" Andrew countered, still checking Neil out. 

"I didn't drag you along so you could buy more club outfits for me," Neil said, rolling his eyes. 

"I don't know if I'd say _hot as fuck,_ but he does look ready to go to a club. Do you like that outfit, Neil? If so, we can get it, but you have to try on the rest of the outfits as well," Tan quickly said, before the banter between Neil and Andrew could begin. 

"I do like it. And obviously Andrew likes it. So, yes. I want to get it. I'll go try on the others now," Neil replied, and disappeared into the dressing room. 

The first outfit he came out in was a plain gray dress shirt with a more casual black vest and nice black jeans that weren't too tight. Neil wasn't sure he liked it that much, but he showed it off, anyway. 

"I picked this one out because I know you're a fan of wearing orange and thought you'd look more professional in something more grayscale," Tan said, looking appreciatively at his work. "It looks good on you." 

"I look like Andrew if he dressed nicely," Neil pointed out, to which Andrew laughed at. 

"He's right, I only wear shades of black," Andrew commented. "But I agree with Tan. It looks good on you. Like when you steal my clothes, only nicer." 

"I do not--" 

"I have several black hoodies missing, and Aaron’s the only one besides you who could fit into them. Aaron doesn't wear black. You're obviously the culprit." 

Neil flushed once more, and Tan rolled his eyes fondly. "Well, Neil, if we get this outfit you can wear more black without stealing Andrew's clothes. What do you say?" 

"Fine," Neil agreed. 

"Go try on the last outfit, I think you'll really like it," Tan encouraged, and waited until Neil came back out of the dressing room. 

"Well, fuck," Andrew commented as Neil showed off his outfit. It was a navy blue button down shirt and a nice pair of black slacks that weren't too dressy, but not as casual as jeans. 

"I thought the navy would complement your eyes," Tan said with a small smile. 

Neil looked towards Andrew after that comment with a slight look of panic on his face. 

"Don't worry. You don't look like _him._ You look like you. You could wear this to the banquet, you know. Instead of a traditional suit," Andrew said, smiling reassuringly. 

"Oh, I hadn't even thought of that. Thank you, Andrew, for pointing that out. This would be a lovely outfit for a banquet. You just need some nice dress shoes," Tan replied, a little giddy. "I'll go pick some out right now!" 

With Tan off to look for shoes, Neil walked up to Andrew. "I really don't look like him?" he asked, his nervousness obvious in his tone. 

"Not at all. Your eyes look beautiful, but they're nothing like his. And since it's long sleeved, you wouldn't have to wear the armbands if you didn't want to," Andrew replied. "I noticed that you stopped wearing them at practice," he continued, a little proud smile on his face. 

Neil shrugged. "Everyone on the team has seen the scars, so it's not a big deal to have them exposed." 

"I'm still proud of you," Andrew replied, and pressed a soft kiss to Neil's lips. 

Of course, this was the moment Tan arrived with shoes. "You really can't keep your hands off each other, can you?" He teased as he set the boxes of shoes down. "Neil, come try these on." 

Neil reluctantly parted and went over to the shoes. In the end, he went with a simple black dress shoe without frills. Tan bought all three outfits and the shoes, even though, Neil protested the whole time. 

"If you buy the things, it defeats the purpose," Tan had said, and Andrew had kissed Neil to shut him up every time he tried to object. 

Neil was allowed to have the rest of the night--because his makeovers had taken up the entire day--off, and after he had dinner with Andrew in downtown Palmetto, they went back to the dorm. 

"Would you hate me if I said I wanted to run drills now?" Neil asked as they were settled on the couch. 

"I always hate you, but yes. It would put you at 120%. That's quite a lot, Josten," Andrew replied, his eyebrow raised as if to challenge the other. 

"How are you even keeping track of your hatred percentage? Last time it was like 112% or something. How do you decide how much to add? It makes no sense." 

Andrew simply shrugged. "It's whatever I feel like adding. It doesn't have to make sense to anyone but me. So, are you going to make it 120%, or are you gonna stay here so we can watch a movie?" 

"The movie is just a veiled attempt to either make out with me or cuddle with me. I see you, Minyard." 

Andrew rolled his eyes. "I picked a _good_ movie to watch. This is not an excuse to make out with you." 

"But you didn't deny the cuddling." 

Andrew was silent, not giving Neil a proper response as he turned on the TV and started the blu ray player. 

"Your silence only confirms that this was a plan to cuddle. You've gone so soft." 

Andrew glared at Neil, leaning in menacingly. He looked murderous, but in the end, he just kissed Neil as roughly as he could. Neil had confessed that he'd found it a little annoying when Andrew asked him "yes or no?" before every single kiss, so now Andrew occasionally did kiss him without asking if the conditions were right. 

Neil didn't pull away, and once he got over his initial surprise, he gave as good as he got. 

"I'm not soft," Andrew mumbled once they'd parted and he was pressing their foreheads together. "Liking cuddling does not make me soft." 

Neil snorted and pressed a kiss to Andrew's nose. "Whatever you say." 

Andrew huffed, but in the end said nothing further before turning on the movie and promptly tangling himself up in the other's limbs. 

* * *

The two of them slept well after playing rock, paper, scissors to be the little spoon. Andrew had won because Neil usually picked rock, and Andrew knew that, so he usually played paper. Neil woke up with Andrew in his arms and smiled. He wasn't sure what the day would bring, but he knew he could handle it with Andrew by his side. 

After a breakfast of poptarts and coffee, there was a knock on the door. Andrew answered it and grinned when he saw who it was. "Josten, it's time to learn how to feed yourself properly," he announced, letting Antoni in. 

"Oh god, are those poptarts?" Antoni asked in horror. 

"What's wrong with poptarts?" Neil asked, genuinely not knowing why his breakfast choice was being questioned. 

"They're essentially cardboard! Why not some eggs? Or even pancakes would be better than _poptarts,_ " Antoni shook his head and sighed. He continued before Neil had a chance to answer. "Nevermind. I'm going to teach you how to make Beef Wellington today. It's a traditionally English dish made for royalty." 

Neil raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of it. And I'm surprised you did research enough to know that I'm mostly English. That _is_ why you picked an English dish, right?" 

"Of course it's why I picked an English dish. The English aren't exactly known for their food, but I wanted to do something to celebrate that part of your heritage," Antoni explained, a bit flustered. He walked over to Neil and handed him an orange apron with a fox paw on it. "Here. I bought this for you. An official PSU Foxes apron." 

"Just what he needs. More Foxes merch," Andrew said, rolling his eyes slightly. 

Neil simply smiled and put the apron on. He turned to Andrew with a mischievous smirk. "Kiss the cook?" 

"Maybe after you've actually cooked something," Andrew replied. 

Antoni, who had begun preparing for their lesson, looked up and smiled at the two of them. "You two really are adorable." 

Andrew rolled his eyes, and Neil laughed. "Careful," began Neil. "He doesn't like being called anything remotely similar to soft." 

"Get on with your fucking cooking, Josten," Andrew replied sourly, though anyone could tell there was no actual venom in his words. 

"Right, well, first you need to blend all of this up for the duxelles," Antoni said, gesturing at the ingredients he'd since gotten out of his bag. 

Neil looked at the ingredients and shrugged. "Simple enough." He put them all into the blender they owned--to which Antoni was a little frustrated by because it wasn't a proper food processor--and showed it to Antoni. 

"Now you have to saute it," Antoni said, gesturing to the pan on the stove. 

Neil nodded and poured the mixture into the pan. He vaguely knew how to saute something and wanted to impress Andrew so he didn't ask for help. This was a mistake, of course, because not even five minutes passed before Antoni wrinkled his nose in disgust. He checked on Neil's dish only to find it burnt beyond recognition. "What did you do? How did you manage to burn it all that quickly?" Antoni asked. 

"He has a gift," Andrew commented. 

"Shut the fuck up. I thought if I turned the heat higher, it would cook faster," Neil replied with a small frown. "I didn't know it was burnt." 

Antoni let out a small sigh, and took the pan away from Neil. "Well, I'd rather not waste food, so let's move on to something simpler." He checked the cabinets and found some spaghetti noodles. "Here. Cook this. All you need is boiling water and it's harder to overcook them even with the heat high," he said, handing Neil the noodles. 

Neil took them, looking a bit dejected. "Okay…" And after a moment, he grabbed a pot and filled it with water. _You can't burn water,_ he thought. However, the pot did boil over when Neil wasn't looking. Antoni managed to keep it from making a complete mess, and in the end the noodles were added. 

"Well done," Antoni said as Neil stirred the noodles. 

"Wow, thanks. I've done so well," Neil said, overly sarcastic. 

"Do you have any cooking experience?" Antoni asked, and Andrew perked up, curious to hear the answer. 

"No…my mom and I lived off of canned food essentially. Once she…" Neil trailed off, and shook his head. "When I got here, there was no reason to cook because we have the cafeteria." 

"Well, you won't always have the cafeteria. You need to learn how to cook at least one dish. Check if the noodles are done. There are more civilized ways, but I think you'd enjoy throwing it at the wall to see if it sticks," Antoni replied with a small encouraging smile. 

Neil took a noodle out with the pasta spoon and threw it at the wall. It stuck. 

"Look at that! They're done! Now all you have to do is drain them and make the sauce," Antoni said, beaming a little with pride. 

"Make the sauce? Can't I just use the sauce from the jar in the fridge?" Neil asked, looking a little weary. 

Antoni sighed. "Well, yes. I suppose you could. It just won't be as good." 

"I'd rather not burn our kitchen down. I'll stick with the jar of sauce," Neil replied, shrugging. 

"Fine, but I am proud of you for making those noodles. You have potential to be a great chef if you take the time to learn," Antoni said. "I sound like Karamo. He's next, you know. Hope you're ready." 

Andrew, who had gotten the jar of sauce from the fridge and was now serving himself some noodles with it, grinned at Neil. "Oh yes. You could do with some life advice and encouragement. By the way, these noodles are actually good." He finished his bite and gestered for Neil to join him. The other did, and was rewarded with a kiss as soon as he was close enough. 

Neil smiled a little, and stole some of Andrew's spaghetti. "This is not terrible," he agreed. "Maybe I'll do it again some time." 

"I would love it if you did," Antoni replied. 

A minute passed of Neil and Andrew eating spaghetti before there was another knock on the door. This time it was Karamo. 

"I know everyone has been letting Andrew tag along, but this part of the makeover is one-on-one. C'mon, Neil. Let's go for a drive." 

Neil gave Andrew a nervous look before he was rushed out the door. Karamo led him to a nice SUV, and opened the passenger side door for him. "I promise I don't bite," he assured before he went around to get into the driver's side. He started the car and drove towards downtown Palmetto. 

"So Neil, tell me about your family," Karamo began, knowing that Neil had a rough relationship with his family. He thought that maybe if he could get Neil to talk about it, though, that he could help Neil out with his confidence off the court. 

"They're great," Neil replied curtly. He was interested in talking about these kinds of things. He knew that Karamo had probably meant his blood family, but he wasn't interested in discussing them _at all._

"You think that people who tried to kill you are great?" Karamo asked, a confused expression on his face. He didn't think Neil had Stockholm Syndrome, but he supposed it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. 

"Those people aren't my family. The Foxes are my family," Neil explained in a tone reminiscent of Andrew's tone when he was bored. He was trying to channel that energy so Karamo would leave him alone. 

Karamo looked a bit surprised by this revelation and continued despite Neil's tone. "I'm glad to hear you've found a better family. Found families are important, but I really think we should discuss your father." 

Neil's expression grew cold and he glared at Karamo. "He's dead. Why dwell on him?" 

"Because he played a large role in your trauma," Karamo replied simply. 

"You're not Bee. I'm not talking about my _trauma_ with you," Neil all but growled. He didn't even talk to Bee about any of this, and he was _not_ talking to a stranger about it. 

"Okay. I understand. Let's talk about your scars, then. How do they make you feel about your appearance and self in general?" Karamo asked gently, sensing Neil's discomfort, but not wanting to give up just yet. 

"I don't care about them. They don't make me feel any different than I've ever felt about myself. They're just there," Neil grumbled, ready to be done with this conversation. Andrew had assured him that his scars didn't make him any less attractive in his eyes, and that's all that mattered to him. 

"They represent all that you've been through. Surely they mean more." Karamo's tone was still gentle, but slightly more inquisitive. He really was trying to get through to Neil. 

"Look, I don't think they make me look ugly or whatever. Can we talk about something else?" Neil looked like he was ready to stab Karamo. Andrew was rubbing off on him too much. 

"Alright. Let's talk about your affinity for cigarette smoke. You don't smoke, but you still have your own pack." This was something Karamo had noticed in his short time with Neil, and it made him very curious. 

"It's a comfort thing. Plus, Andrew forgets his occasionally," Neil explained through gritted teeth. He was glad that, unlike Andrew, he didn't carry knives with him. 

"Why is it comforting to you?" Karamo asked, innocent and curious. He still wasn't about to give up on getting through to Neil. 

"My mother smoked," Neil replied, barely audible as he let out a long sigh. Of course, Karamo had still heard him. 

"And you have fond memories of her?" Karamo asked, thinking that maybe they were finally getting somewhere. 

"She saved my life," Neil said, the sadness that came with the memory of his mother evident in his tone. 

"But you couldn't save hers, could you?" Karamo asked, picking up on that sadness. 

"What?" Neil asked, the anger seeping back into his voice. 

"You haven't mentioned her still being alive, so I assume she's no longer with us?" Karamo asked, gently as ever, but Neil could no longer take it. 

"I'm done talking about this," Neil said before promptly opening his door and throwing himself out of the car. He had experience with this, and rolled off of the pavement and into the grass to assess the injuries he'd caused himself. It was only a few scrapes and bruises, and it was worth it i to be out of that car. 

He got a call from Andrew about five minutes later. 

"What the fuck, Neil?" Andrew sounded annoyed, and Neil was slightly nervous now. 

"He kept asking me shit that I didn't want to talk about. He wouldn't stop. He told me I couldn't save my mother," Neil explained, hoping that this would calm Andrew down a bit. 

"Well that's bullshit," Andrew replied, his tone indicating that he was a bit more calm. "He was supposed to be helping you." 

"Yeah, well, trying to psychoanalyze me isn't helping. Are you there with him?" Neil asked, as he started his walk back to PSU. 

"Yeah. Unfortunately, I can't stab him for you, though," Andrew said, sounding completely serious, even though he was joking. 

It made Karamo--who was listening to Andrew's words--very uncomfortable. He took a step back from Andrew, and Andrew rolled his eyes but said nothing. 

"Dammit. What good is having a boyfriend with knives if he won't stab people for you?" Neil asked, the teasing evident in his tone. 

"So you're only with me for my knives? I see how it is," Andrew replied. He looked to Karamo and chuckled. "I think we're scaring Karamo." 

"Tell him he shouldn't be listening to our conversation to begin with," Neil huffed. 

"He wants to know if you're okay, and wants to apologize when you get back for being a little harsh," Andrew replied, getting an approving nod from Karamo as he relayed the message. 

"Tell him to fuck off." 

"He genuinely was trying to help. He went about it the completely wrong way, but I'm not telling him to fuck off." 

"Ugh. Fine. I'll talk to him when I get back." 

"I can come and get you, you know. You don't have to walk all the way back." 

"I'd like to run back so I'm not as angry when I see him." 

"Fine. I'll tell Karamo you'll be a while." 

"Oh, it won't be that long. You know how fast I can run." 

"Don't overdo it, Josten." 

"Such a mothering hen, Minyard." 

"I'm going to hang up before you reach 150%." 

"Fine. Lo--" 

Andrew hung up before Neil finished his sentence, and both parties were simultaneously grateful and disappointed. 

Neil hadn't meant to start the beginning of that sentence, it had just sorta slipped out. Andrew was worried about what would happen if he let Neil finish that sentence. 

* * *

Neil came back all sweaty from his run and Andrew tried his best not to be distracted by it. His mind was still running over their conversation from earlier, but he resolved himself not to bring it up. Instead he would make sure Neil didn't tear Karamo's head off. 

Karamo was the one who made the first move. "I'm sorry," he began, looking straight at Neil. "I didn't know that you'd throw yourself out of the car if I asked tougher questions. I only wanted to help lift some of the guilt I'm sure you carry around. I should've gone about it differently." 

"No shit," Neil replied, looking unimpressed. "I don't carry around guilt, and if I did, it's none of your business." 

Karamo sighed, and said no more. Andrew looked between the two and turned to Neil. "Look, Neil, it's Karamo's thing to help you with yourself. I know you hate talking about that shit, but don't take it out on him." 

Neil sighed a long and heavy sigh. "Fine," he muttered and walked into the bedroom. Unlike normal episodes of Queer Eye, Andrew and Neil had stayed in their dorm even though Bobby still had plans to renovate it. Bobby was just going to do it all at once while they were at practice. It wasn't exactly fair to Bobby, but no one had volunteered their room for them to stay in, not even Matt who had claimed there was "simply no room." Neil thought it was just an excuse to save Aaron from having to deal with them all the time for two days. 

"I think that's as good as you're going to get, unfortunately," Andrew told Karamo before following Neil into the bedroom. "Did you really need to throw yourself out of the car?" he asked Neil after shutting the bedroom door. 

"I wasn't going to listen to his bullshit, anymore," Neil said, a bit more heated than he probably should've been, considering it wasn't Andrew he was angry at. 

"You could have stayed silent like you used to do with Bee," Andrew suggested, remembering back to the early days of their relationship when Neil still wasn't comfortable talking to the therapist. 

"Fair point," Neil replied with a small defeated sigh. "You know me. I think about the extreme first, and the rational later." 

Andrew rolled his eyes fondly, but his expression took a more serious turn. "You had me really worried," he said, looking at all of Neil's bruises. "You could've really hurt yourself." 

"I've had plenty of experience with it," Neil replied like it wasn't a big deal to throw yourself out of a moving vehicle. "I didn't break anything." 

"I know that but it was still worrying to hear that my boyfriend threw himself out of a moving car. No matter how many times he's done it," Andrew explained in a small huff. 

Neil sensed that Andrew really had been worried about the whole thing and wanted to make it better. "I'll try not to do it anymore," he replied, hoping this would comfort Andrew. 

"Thank you. I apologize for not trying harder to come with you," Andrew said, looking a little guilty himself. He knew that Karamo did one on one sessions but...he still felt like he should've at least tried to go with the two of them. 

"It's fine," Neil replied, mostly out of habit. 

Andrew knew an automatic response when he heard one, so he continued his explanation. "I knew it might be hard for you. I should've tried to come." 

"It's _fine,_ Andrew," Neil replied, a bit more forcefully this time. He didn't want Andrew blaming himself for this. 

There was a bit of an awkward silence between the two. As Andrew still wasn't convinced that it was fine--everyone knew that was the word Neil used when things _weren't_ fine. Finally, Andrew broke the silence with a very un-Andrew-like question. 

"You want to cuddle? You can be the little spoon and I'll try not to put pressure on any of your bruises." 

Neil smiled a bit before he nodded. He could never resist being the little spoon. He waited for Andrew to climb into their small bed before he joined him. Andrew wrapped his arms around Neil, careful to avoid all of the places that he knew were bruised from the incident. 

"You know none of it was your fault, right?" Andrew muttered as they lay together in the bed. 

"I know," Neil said, even though his tone suggested otherwise. 

"I mean it, Neil." 

"I _know._ " Neil was quiet for a moment before he added quietly, "Sometimes it's just hard…" 

"You can always talk to me if you need to, okay?" Andrew offered for what was probably the hundredth time. Every time Neil had a nightmare, Andrew encouraged Neil to talk about it, but the other rarely ever did. 

"Yeah, well, you know me. Love talking about my problems," Neil replied with a small snort. He felt like he'd never be in a good spot to talk about the things that troubled him still. 

"It does get easier the more you do it," Andrew explained, thinking back to all the conversations he'd had with Bee. At first, it was really hard, but now after all this time, it was easy for him to talk to her because he knew she understood. He just needed to get Neil started towards that goal, somehow. 

"Maybe I'll try it sometime," Neil murmured, moving to bury his head in Andrew's neck. 

Andrew hid his surprise with a little laugh. He hadn't expected Neil to actually say he'd do it any time soon. "You won't throw yourself out of the car?" he teased, running his fingers through Neil's hair. 

"Not with you," Neil replied, and pressed a soft kiss to Andrew's neck. 

"You and your goddamn neck fetish," Andrew replied, holding back the noise he always wanted to make whenever Neil kissed his neck. 

"I just wanted to see if you'd make the noise," Neil replied in a teasing manner. 

"Fuck you. I don't make _noises,_ " Andrew scoffed, even though he most certainly did. 

Neil laughed and buried his head farther into Andrew's neck before letting out a soft sigh that usually meant he was content. Andrew continued stroking his hair and they stayed like that until dinner. 

* * *

Bobby had roughly four hours to makeover the dorm while Andrew and Neil went to class and practice. Luckily he'd spent his time in Palmetto picking out things for the dorm, so all that he had to do was move in all the stuff that he'd gotten into the dorm. 

He'd picked out an entertainment center with plenty of space to organize their games, movies, and consoles, as well as a new TV to go on top of it. He'd also bought them a bigger couch and fancier chairs to replace the bean bag chairs. He hadn't gotten rid of the bean bag chairs entirely, since he had a feeling they held sentimental value for someone, so he'd shoved them into the closet and would reveal them later if someone complained about their disappearance. The old bookshelf had also been replaced, and he'd gotten them some fake plants as decoration for it. He knew they wouldn't be able to keep real plants alive. Finally, he'd picked out a few pieces of art to hang on the walls to make the place look less boring. 

"You've outdone yourself, Bobby," Antoni said as he entered the room just as Bobby was finishing hanging the art. 

"You know, you could've helped," Bobby replied, only a little frustrated that none of the fab five had taken him up on the offer of helping. They'd all claimed that he was too picky and they'd end up being in the way. 

"I would've been more a hindrance. Besides, you got it all done in time. You even have twenty minutes to spare!" 

"Wow, twenty whole minutes, what am I going to do with all that time? Maybe I'll heat up a poptart." 

"Shut up, you know better." 

Bobby stuck his tongue out and went into the kitchen to get some water. Antoni took a seat in one of the fancy chairs while Jonathan, Tan, and Karamo filtered into the room. 

"I still can't believe he threw himself out of the car," Jonathan said as they walked into the room. "Wow, Bobby. The place looks nice." 

"Thanks," said Bobby. "Hopefully he won't jump out of the window when he sees it." 

"Oh, shut up. You all knew that I was going to have the most difficult time," Karamo replied, shaking his head. 

They filled the twenty minutes with idle chatter about how their days had been and before long there was a knock on the door. 

"We don't have to knock on the door, it's our room--" Neil's voice said from outside. 

"Bobby could need a few more moments. It's only polite," Andrew replied, as if it was obvious. 

Bobby quickly answered the door before an argument could ensue. "Welcome back. Like what I've done to place?" he asked and gestured to the room around him. 

Neil raised an eyebrow, looking at all of the new things with a bit of awe. "Where'd our bean bag chairs go?" he asked, as if that were the most important thing. He loved sitting in Andrew's lap while Andrew was in one, and they were one of the better make out spots they had when the dorm was empty. 

"They're in the closet," Bobby said simply. "Do you like the changes?" 

"I think it looks really nice," Andrew replied, casting a glance at Neil as if to say he was being rude. 

Neil rolled his eyes at Andrew. "I hope those aren't real plants," he observed, looking at the bookshelf. 

"Of course they aren't. I'd never trust any of you to care for a real plant," Bobby replied. 

Neil nodded, and Andrew looked mildly offended. 

"You can barely take yourself, Andrew. You'd kill a plant," Neil said upon seeing Andrew's expression. 

"I take care of _you._ That's much harder than taking care of a plant. I think I could handle it," Andrew grumbled, crossing his arms. 

Neil simply kissed his cheek. "I'll get you a real plant if you really want one." 

Andrew smiled ever so slightly and nodded his approval of this plan. 

Bobby waited a moment before he said, "I didn't just re-do your living room. Come with me." 

Neil's curiosity was piqued and so was Andrew's, so they wasted no time following after Bobby. Neil gasped when he saw what Bobby had done to their bedroom. The bunk beds were gone. They'd been replaced by a full sized bed tucked into the corner. 

"It's only a full size bed, but you two managed to share a twin so I think this will definitely be an upgrade," Bobby explained with a smile on his face. He'd done a good job by the looks on Neil and Andrew's faces. 

"This is amazing, Bobby. I think you're my favorite," Neil said in response. "Thank you." 

Bobby beamed. "High praise, coming from you. I'm glad you like it. Let's go back and say goodbye to the inferior ones, okay?" 

Neil nodded and dragged Andrew away from the bed and back towards the living room. "I want to thank everyone for all that you've done. Tonight my family is going to see just how much you helped," he said, smiling at every single member of the fab five, even Karamo. 

"And I want to thank y'all for picking my incredible boyfriend. It means a lot to me and the rest of the team," Andrew added. 

"You sound adorable when you say _y'all,_ " Neil muttered, and kissed Andrew's cheek before turning his attention back to the fab five. "I suppose I should give everyone a hug now, right?" He asked, looking put upon. 

"Only if you want to," Karamo said, wanting Neil to know he didn't need to do anything he wasn't comfortable with. 

Neil gave an appreciative smile and hugged Karamo first. "Sorry for jumping out of your car," he said after they'd broken apart. 

"It's alright. You taught me that even I need to be aware of what boundaries not to cross," Karamo replied. 

Neil nodded and then went on to hug the rest of the fab five, thanking them each individually for what they had helped him with. 

"I wish I could be here tonight to try your spaghetti," Antoni said right before they left. "Andrew, eat some for me, please." 

"You got it," Andrew replied, and did a two-finger salute. 

Antoni and the others laughed before saying goodbye and heading out the door. 

"Think we have enough time to try out that new bed?" Andrew asked after they were alone. 

"No, we only have an hour and I have to make spaghetti," Neil said, a hint of a whine in his voice because he really did want to take Andrew up on the offer. 

"It won't take an hour to make spaghetti," Andrew pointed out, hearing the whine in Neil's tone. 

"Fine, but we don't have time to do anything but make out for a little, alright?" Neil replied, inching towards the bedroom. 

"Fine by me. Lead the way to our new bed," Andrew said, and allowed himself to be pulled along by Neil. 

Spaghetti didn't take an hour, but the two of them left just barely enough time to complete it. Neil was rushing and definitely spilled boiling water on the floor as he was trying to drain the noodles. Andrew had to mop it up while Neil was heating up the sauce. 

Once the food was done, Neil ran back to the bedroom and changed into one of the outfits that Tan had bought him--it was the one Andrew had picked out, of course. 

He didn't have time to style his hair the way Jonathan had shown him, but he figured that was alright, all things considered. 

Andrew answered the door for the first batch of Foxes to arrive. It was Kevin and Nicky and of course they were freaking out about how great the new living room was. They both decided to try out the new couch while they waited for everyone to arrive. Renee, Allison, Matt, and Dan all arrived next and told Andrew, and by this point Neil, how great everything looked and how great _Neil_ looked. Andrew told everyone that he'd picked out the outfit in the store to which everyone said some variation of "we can tell." Aaron was the last to arrive and he was being dragged into the room by Katelyn who complimented both the room and Neil's new look. Aaron reluctantly agreed. 

Once everyone was there, Neil addressed the room. "I'm glad you all were able to make it. I made spaghetti, and I hope everyone likes it. Antoni said it wasn't terrible the first time I made it, so…" he trailed off and shrugged, gesturing to the kitchen. "Knock yourselves out." 

Everyone got their own plate of spaghetti--Andrew getting a bit more to eat for Antoni--and the consensus was that it wasn't bad, and who knew Neil could actually cook? 

Once the meal was over, everyone ventured to the couch and chairs to watch a movie. Neil dragged a bean bag chair out of the closet and made himself comfortable in Andrew's lap when the latter sat down in it. 

The fab five watched the whole thing from their hotel room, truly impressed with the way everything had gone. Jonathan was a little sad to see that Neil hadn't styled his hair, but Bobby reminded him that they'd probably wasted too much of their time trying out the new bed. Everyone laughed, and continued watching the gathering. Karamo pointed out that they should do Aaron next if they ever came back to Palmetto, because he clearly had some issues he needed to work on. Tan reminded him that they didn't need anyone else throwing themselves out of a moving car. 

They turned off the stream when everyone settled in for a movie, quite pleased with Neil's progress. Neil fell asleep during the movie, and Andrew had to carry him to their new bed once the Foxes had said their goodbyes after the movie was over. It had been a great night, Andrew thought, and he was so glad that the fab five had chosen his video and worked their magic on Neil. 

Neil woke up as he was placed on the bed. "Did I fall asleep?" 

"Yeah, cooking that spaghetti really wore you out," Andrew teased, snuggling up beside Neil. 

"I'm actually going to miss them a tiny bit…" 

"Oh? So you don't hate me for nominating you?" 

"No, quite the opposite. I love you, Andrew Minyard," Neil said, not hesitating this time. 

Andrew gaped a bit, not quite knowing what to do. Words like that were so hard for him, even now when he was sure of his feelings. So instead he leaned up and asked, "Yes or no?" 

Neil replied with a _yes,_ and Andrew kissed Neil with all the love he had for him. It lasted what seemed like ages, and when they finally broke apart, Andrew leaned his forehead against Neil's and whispered, "I love you too." 


End file.
